Economy

BRADENTON, Fla. — Florida is on a fast track to complete the first high-speed rail project in the U.S. with a new application for $1.12 billion in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration’s service development program.

CHICAGO — The Illinois Finance Authority board on Tuesday advanced plans for a series of financings, including the first in the state in seven years to take advantage of the FHA 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program. Another could be the first to tap the state’s Midwestern disaster area bond allocation.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded Lake Region Healthcare Corp. to BBB from A-minus due to its balance sheet struggles.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — A year and a half after Seattle-area voters approved a sales tax hike to finance $18 billion in mass transit projects, a quarter of that amount has evaporated due to reduced economic activity.

CHICAGO — There is cautious optimism for the nonprofit health care sector as operating performance and debt-market access show improvement after two years of financial turmoil.

DALLAS — Austin Bergstrom International Airport’s Hilton hotel faces a deepening financial hole in the wake of a series of defaults on $49 million of revenue bonds, according to a recent audit.

DALLAS — Austin voters will decide in November on $90 million of general obligation bonds devoted to transportation efforts following unanimous action by the City Council.

The Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority last week announced that it has qualified 115 teams to participate in a request for proposals to renovate public schools.

Pennsylvania’s legislature will hold a hearing next month on possible mismanagement at the Delaware River Port Authority.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Thursday approved a $1.2 billion expansion of a terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport on behalf of Delta Air Lines and its partners.

WASHINGTON — The Senate yesterday voted 61 to 39 to approve a $26 billion measure that would extend but phase out increased federal Medicaid payments to states through June 30 and give $10 billion to local school districts to prevent layoffs.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Officials in Beverly Hills, Calif., were concerned about the city’s growing liability for the future health care costs of its current employees.

Massachusetts hospitals and higher educational institutions could face higher borrowing costs in the future as the state plans to fold the Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority into the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency.

WASHINGTON — A new study released this week by the Government Accountability Office shows that nearly all states have gotten back at least as much money as they contributed to the federal highway trust fund — a revelation that contradicts some lawmakers’ claims that certain states are subsidizing others’ highway and bridge costs under the current system.

The Senate is poised to pass legislation that would extend and phase out enhanced federal Medicaid payments to states for six months through June 30, 2011, as well as provide $10 billion to local school districts to prevent an estimated 140,000 educators from being laid off.

CHICAGO — Moody’s Investors Service this week lowered Kimberly Area School District’s general obligation debt one notch to Aa3, making it the third district to suffer a downgrade after reneging on a moral obligation pledge to repay asset-backed notes issued by their non-pension retiree health care trusts.

CHICAGO — Fitch Ratings on Monday downgraded more than $220 million of general airport revenue bonds issued for Kansas City International Airport by one notch due to a decline in debt-service coverage ratios and increased exposure to non-airline related revenues.

CHICAGO — Branson Airport LLC dipped into reserves to cover its July 1 debt-service payment on $113 million of unrated tax-exempt bonds as it struggles to meet traffic projections for the privately built and operated Missouri facility.

CHICAGO — South Dakota’s Regional Health today will offer $57 million of fixed-rate revenue bonds that will be used to fund various capital projects and refund a chunk of fixed-rate debt to achieve savings.

Andrew Garvey, head of capital markets banking at Cain Brothers, has departed the boutique firm after nearly three years, the investment bank confirmed Tuesday.